After a few years in the trenches of sleepless nights, youtime's Editor is back in a committed relationship with sleep. These are the nightly rituals she embraces to wind down, set a relaxing mood, and usher in a deep slumber.
Andrea Robertson
Editor
0 minute read
Whether it's a busy mind that refuses to chill out, wakeful children, or a body still reverberating with a sugar high from that 9pm bowl of Ben & Jerry's and blue light sensory overload - ushering in a solid deep slumber can be difficult to achieve.
And as many have experienced, worry over a sleepless night can become a self fulfilling prophecy.
After a good three years of broken sleep thanks to babies who didn't get the memo that mummy was exhausted, my offspring are mercifully (knock on wood, knock on everything) achieving the holy grail of sleeping through the night. (The 5.30am wake ups are less than ideal, but it's a welcome upgrade from the hourly rising we were enduring at one point).
This is all to say - I am now wholeheartedly in love with sleep. Obsessed, will never take it for granted again. And so, I do a lot to ensure every sleep is a good one - to set the mood, wind down my brain, and embrace a peaceful and rejuvenating rest.
These are my nightly rituals - some more recent, others tried and tested - that I'm loving to help me get a good night's sleep.
1
I'm typically a glass of red in the evening person, but if Elle Macpherson says she drinks this tea before bed, I'm open to changing my habits.
The Sleep Welle Calming Tea is a blend of potent herbs traditionally used to help calm the mind.
A new nightly ritual is sipping this during my evening skin routine.
2
Scent can completely alter the ambience of a room and shift my mindset.
I utilise candles, incense or essential oils if I need to focus, to set the mood when entertaining, and to signal that it's time to relax after the work day ends and I've put the kids to bed.
The In Essence Ultrasonic Diffuser with Sleep Essential Oil Blend is safe for bedtime use as it disperses via a fine cool mist, with no heat.
3
Recent temps have been drying out my skin, so I am leaning heavily into hydration and following these winter skincare tips.
I'm currently obsessed with Habitual Beauty's Hydrating Sleep Mask - a decadently rich cream you can slather on a few times a week to lock in your hydrating serums and wake up with juicy skin. Massaging the pretty lilac mask into my skin has become a meditative ritual.
4
My current wind down routine is to listen to a meditation on the Headspace app while I have my Omnilux mask on for 10 minutes before bed.
I also need white noise to sleep - my favourite is the Ocean Time Sleep Radio which is eight hours of gentle waves to lull me into a deep slumber.
5
On winter nights I'm all about comfort and there is nothing cosier than Boody for lounge and sleepwear.
I can't wait to change into this gorgeously soft bamboo sleep set in dusty pink in the evenings. Add the chunky bed socks for ultimate cosy vibes.
6
Our resident yogi Zoe Klein shared this simple Yogic Breathing Exercise recently to combat stress and anxiety.
It's an easy exercise to do while listening to a meditation to regulate breathing and head into sleep calm and feeling zen.
7
Drifting off to sleep with the soft weight of this therapeutic eye pillow gently engaging acupressure points, enveloping me with the scent of lavender and chamomile is deeply relaxing.
The Bodha eye pillow comes in three shades of linen, while a luxurious cashmere version launches soon that I'll be adding to cart.
Andrea Robertson
Editor
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